Carro Armato M11/39 Medium Tank7:
A Carro di Rottura (breakthrough tank) was to be developed.5
Fiat-Ansaldo built it as a Carro di Rottura.6 It was developed as the 8 T in 1932 but was changed to M 11-39 in 1937.6
In 1937 prototype was built.5 The Regio Esercito (Royal Italian Army) placed an order for 100 of them in 1938.6 Production was nine per month.6
Started with 6 road wheels and was similar to American M3 Lee except had 37 mm in sponson. Eventually had 8 road wheels. Initially had an RF 1 CA radio, but production models had no radio5.6
Main Armament
Had 2 Breda 8 mm MGs in the turret and a 37 mm mounted on the right side of the hull.5,6 The driver was on the left side.5
The 37 mm gun had a telescopic sight.6 The two 8 mm Breda MGs were in a cast gimbal mount with a telescopic sight and room mounted periscope.6
Fighting Compartment
On each side of the hull superstructure were oval pistol ports.6 There were two ports in the right rear superstructure.6
Entrances were in the turret room, above the main gun, and a door in the left side.6
The armor was bolt-on plating.6 Riveted construction.7
Air intakes were at the rear in the superstructure and the turret.6
Engine
The engine was in the rear with the drive going to the front sprockets.5,6 The adjustable idler was in the rear.6
There were two radiator gills at the rear of the engine compartment.6
Suspension
The suspension had two four-wheel bogies mounted in pairs on a semi-elliptic leaf spring.5
It had four double wheeled articulated bogies that were paired into two bogie assemblies.6 They were carried on semi-elliptical leaf springs.6
Two spare bogie wheels were fitted on the rear hull, with the jack on the front left fender.6
First Tests
A company in the 32nd Tank Regiment of the Ariete (Ram) Armored Division received the first batch to test in August 1939.6
Deployed
Was intended to be main tank of armored divisions. Each battalion would have 31 tanks.
These eventually equipped two battalions of the Ariete (Ram) Armored Division.6
In Africa
24 were sent to Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Italian Somaliland.6
70 / 726 were sent to Africa and joined the 4th Tank Regiment. First action Sidi Azeis, August 5, 1940.5
Five were captured by the 6th Australian Division and used against the Italians at Tobruk in January 1941.
| M11/39 | |
|---|---|
| Crew | Commander/turret gunner, 37 mm gunner, driver6 31,2,5,6,7 |
| Physical Characteristics | |
| Weight | 24,250.4 lb6, 24,640 lb 10.8 tons7, 10.83 tons, 10.9 tons4, 11 tons1,2, 12.1 ton6 11,000 kg6,7, 11,175 kg1 |
| Length w/gun | 15.5'2, 15' 6"1,5, 15' 6.5"7, 15' 10.9"6 4.7 m , 4.73 m1,4, 4.74 m7, 4.85 m6 |
| Length w/o gun | |
| Height | 6' 11.1"6, 7.33'2, 7' 6.5"7, 7' 7"1,5 2.11 m6, 2.3 m1,4,7 |
| Width | 7.08'2, 7' 1.8"6, 7' 2"1,5, 7' 3"7 2.18 m1,4,6, 2.2 m, 2.21 m7 |
| Width over tracks | |
| Ground clearance | |
| Ground contact length | |
| Ground pressure | |
| Turret ring diameter | |
| Armament | |
| Main | 37 mm1,2,3 37 mm L/404 37 mm Vickers-Terni L/40, hull6,7 |
| Secondary | |
| MG | 2: 8 mm MG1,3 2: 8 mm Breda Model 38 MG, turret4,6,7 2: MG2 |
| Side arms | |
| Quantity | |
| Main | 846 |
| Secondary | |
| MG | 2,8086 |
| Side arms | |
| Armor Thickness (mm) | 6 - 301,2,
7 - 306, 307 Front: 304 Side: 144 |
| Hull Front, Upper | 30 |
| Hull Front, Lower | 14 |
| Hull Sides, Upper | 14 |
| Hull Sides, Lower | 14 |
| Hull Rear | 14 |
| Hull Top | 8 |
| Hull Bottom | 8 |
| Turret Front | 30 |
| Turret Sides | 30 |
| Turret Rear | 14 |
| Turret Top | 7 |
| Engine (Make / Model) | Fiat SPA 8T1,6,7 Spa 8T5 |
| Bore / stroke | |
| Cooling | Water6 |
| Cylinders | 81 V-82,5,6,7 |
| Capacity | |
| Net HP | 1051,2,4,5,7, 1256 |
| Power to weight ratio | |
| Compression ratio | |
| Transmission (Type) | |
| Steering | |
| Steering ratio | |
| Starter | |
| Electrical system | |
| Ignition | |
| Fuel (Type) | Diesel1,2,5,6,7 |
| Octane | |
| Quantity | Main tank: 38.3 gallons6,
145 liters6 Reserve tank: 9.2 gallons6, 35 liters6 |
| Road consumption | |
| Cross country consumption | |
| Performance | |
| Traverse | 360°, hydraulic6 37 mm: 15° each way4,6 |
| Max speed | 19.9 mph6, 20 mph5,7, 20.7 mph1, 21 mph2 32 kph6,7, 32.2 kph, 33 kph4, 33.3 kph1 |
| Cross country speed | 9.3 mph |
| Road radius | 124 miles1,7, 125 miles5, 130 miles6 200 km1,7, 210 km6 |
| Cross country radius | |
| Turning radius | |
| Elevation limits | 37 mm: +12° to -12°6, -8° |
| Fording depth | 3' 3" |
| Trench crossing | 6' 6" |
| Vertical obstacle | 2' 7.5" |
| Climbing ability | |
| Suspension (Type) | Two 4 wheel bogies, semi-elliptic leaf spring5 Four double wheeled articulated bogies that were paired into two bogie assemblies.6 Sprung bogie7 |
| Wheels each side | 86 |
| Return rollers each side | 36 |
| Tracks (Type) | |
| Length | |
| Width | |
| Diameter | |
| Number of links | |
| Pitch | |
| Tire tread | |
| Track centers/tread | |
| Production | 1937-1940: 1003 |
Sources:
- The Encyclopedia of Tanks and Armored Fighting Vehicles - The Comprehensive Guide to Over 900 Armored Fighting Vehicles From 1915 to the Present Day, General Editor: Christopher F. Foss, 2002
- Tanks of the World, 1915-1945, Peter Chamberlain, Chris Ellis, 1972
- The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II, Chris Bishop, 1998
- Jane's World War II Tanks and Fighting Vehicles The Complete Guide, Leland Ness, 2002
- Tanks of World War II, Duncan Crow, 1979
- Italian Medium Tanks in Action, Nicola Pignato, 2001
- The Illustrated Guide to Tanks of the World, George Forty, 2006
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